Manager’s Messages

The Association and Action Property Management wish all residents a safe and happy Halloween! To help ensure adults and children have a safe holiday, the American Academy of Pediatrics has compiled a list of Halloween Safety Tips, including do’s and don’ts:

• A responsible adult should accompany young children on the neighborhood rounds
• If your older children are going alone, plan and review a route acceptable to you
• Agree on a specific time children should return home
• Teach your children to never enter a stranger’s home or car
• Instruct children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with their friends
• Tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home
• All costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant
• Avoid masks, which can obstruct vision
• If children are allowed out after dark, fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags, or give them glow sticks
• When buying Halloween makeup, make sure it is nontoxic and always test it in a small area first
• Remove all makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation
• Children and adults are reminded to put electronic advices down, keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street

At the January 24, 2017 Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to approve the revised Parking Rules and Regulations that were sent to the community for a 30-day comment period in December 2016. The updated Parking Rules and Regulations were distributed to all homeowners and may also be viewed and downloaded on the VIVO Portal at www.vivoportal.com.

The purpose of the revision was two-fold: (1) to amend the rules to allow homeowners to park on the street, as the current rules only permit guests to park on the street, and (2) to limit the time a vehicle could be parked on the street in the same spot to 72 hours. The Association has had recent incidents where vehicles have been abandoned on the community streets, and without a rule in place limiting the amount of time a vehicle can be parked in the same spot on the street, it is difficult for the Association to take any action to remove the vehicle. Furthermore, ensuring that vehicles are moved every 72 hours will help to ensure that all residents have equal access to street parking and help to prevent “stored” vehicles from accumulating dirt, cobwebs, and debris, which is unsightly and detracts from the appearance of the neighborhood.\

The new Parking Rules and Regulations are now in effect, and the Association has contracted with Patrol Masters to perform regular inspections of the community to patrol for parking violations beginning March 1, 2017. The inspections will be performed by patrol officers in marked vehicles and will also help to create a security presence in the community. The officer will monitor the community for parking violations and will issue citations to vehicles in violation of the Parking Rules. Failure to comply with the citations will result in the vehicle being towed from the property at the owner’s expense.

The Board of Directors greatly appreciates all residents’ compliance with the Parking Rules and Regulations. Should you have any questions about the Parking Rules or the parking patrol enforcement, please contact Senior Manager of Community Services Rhonda Hart at (949) 450-0202, or via email to rhart@actionlife.com.

The Board is aware that many homeowners are unhappy with the current state of the landscape in some areas and has decided to undertake a communitywide renovation project to address these areas. The areas included will be the front entrance, Heron Pointe Drive (the main corridor), the traffic circles at the end of each cul-de-sac, and the planters along Seal Beach Blvd. The Board is planning on converting all of the parkways to turf (rather than have the ornamental grasses in some areas) and converting the area in between 967 and 979 Heron Circle into a small park. The Board has retained Monarch Environmental to do the design of these areas and is in the process of fine-tuning the renderings. The scope of work will then be put out to bid, and the Board will be reviewing the proposals at the January 24th meeting. All interested homeowners are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting to ask questions and participate in the process.

You may have noticed some new signage at the entrance to the community recently. There used to be a large white sign in the center median for Gum Grove Park. The Association had a traffic study conducted in 2015, and the consultant concluded that the sign’s located was a safety hazard, as it blocks the visibility of drivers trying to turn left into the Gum Grove Park parking lot. Since this signage is regulated by the Coastal Commission, the Association had to obtain approval from them to relocate the signage. The approval process took 9 months, but the Coastal Commission ultimately approved the Association’s request. The large white sign was completely removed, and a brand new black sign with the same verbiage and dimensions was placed at the corner of the driveway to the Gum Grove Park parking lot. A “Coastal Access” sign was placed on the stacked stone directory monument to comply with Coastal Commission requirements.

Furthermore, the Association has fabricated and installed custom monogram lettering with a rust colored heron in the empty space above the arbor between the two vehicle gates. The Board felt that this area was very focal and that by adding this element, has helped to improve the aesthetic of the entrance to the community. The Board would like to give a special thank you to former Board President Mark Rohling, who came up with the concept for the design. We hope you all enjoy the new improved signage at Heron Pointe!

The maintenance of the Bioswale, located in the back of the property, has been completed. This was a large undertaking, as the area had been neglected for years and had fallen out of compliance. Although the Association does not technically own the Bioswale area, they are legally required to maintain it under the CC&Rs. Compliance is regulated by the Coastal Commission, and also by the Orange County Fire Authority, as it is considered part of a fuel modification zone. The area is now in compliance, and will be closely monitored by the Association’s landscape company, Bemus Landscape, and landscape consultant, Monarch Environmental, to ensure it stays in compliance. Routine maintenance of this area is now included as part of Bemus’ maintenance contract to ensure it is maintained properly going forward. The project was estimated to cost $33,000.00, which was budgeted for in the Association’s reserves. However, the project ultimately came in at $10,000.00 UNDER budget, which is great news! The Board would like to give a special thank you to Monarch Environmental and J.E.S. Engineering Services, who were able to get the area in compliance and save the Association a substantial amount of money!

All of the mailboxes and mailbox posts in the community have been replaced. If you have any issues with your new mailbox, please contact Action Property Management. Thank you!

The Association is working with Monarch Environmental and JES to bring the Bioswale area behind the community into compliance with the approved standards. This project has originally been scheduled to begin in September, however, a federally protected bird was discovered and the Association has been advised by the Department of Fish and Wildife to delay the project until October. It is projected to begin the first week of October.

Your Association’s Annual Meeting of the Members was held on June 5, 2016. The Election of Directors was completed. Two (2) Directors were elected to serve a two (2) year term:

NAME OF CANDIDATE                   NUMBER OF VOTES CAST
Diane Lenning                                                           35
Scott Weiss                                                                 31

The candidates receiving the highest number of votes are as follows and will serve for a two (2) year term:

NAMES OF DIRECTORS ELECTED
Diane Lenning
Scott Weiss

The members further voted to allocate any excess funds at the end of the current fiscal year to the subsequent year’s member assessments.

NUMBER OF VOTES CAST

In Favor                                          31
Opposed                                          1
Abstained                                          1

Board of Directors

Heron Pointe Maintenance Corporation